Loading arm removal a success at LIP

The removal of a marine loading arm at Esso’s Long Island Point (LIP) Plant proved a logistical challenge that the team involved were able to successfully solve, with the arm removed safely during recent works at site.

Two mobile cranes were required for the removal. A 220 tonne crane was used for the main lift and a 90 tonne tailing crane was used to rotate the loading arm and load onto the truck bed. The total lift weight was around 17,000 kilograms – a massive undertaking!

LIP Project Engineer Samantha Stevenson said that while the LIP Plant berthing head accommodates eight marine loading arms, current arm numbers one and three are used for LPG loading and arm numbers seven and eight are used for crude oil loading.

“Loading arms two, four, five and six are no longer required for ship loading and have been out of service for several years, and arms four, five and six were removed in an earlier project.

“Arm two was of a different design to the previously removed arms and is located between two in service loading arms, making the eccentrically loaded lift much more complicated and the timing extremely sensitive to external factors, such as wind,” she explained.

While the project presented a number of logistical and engineering challenges to be worked through ahead of the removal, it was completed safely and successfully, with the arm transported offsite, dismantled into smaller parts and taken to metal recyclers.

“It’s great that the metal from the arm will be able to be repurposed for future use. Most importantly, the project was completed safely and represents a great technical success story for the team at LIP,” she concluded.